Books about the Falklands War

June 26, 2007 10:26 AM

Can someone recommend a good book (or books) about the Falklands War? Preferably something for the casual but interested reader.
posted by Rangeboy to Media & Arts (9 answers total)

Try The Fracture Zone. I haven't read it yet, but it's on my reading list because I've enjoyed the previous three Winchester books I've read recently.
posted by GatorDavid at 11:43 AM on June 26, 2007

Try "Sea Harrier Over the Falklands" by 'Sharkey' Ward. He was the Commander of 801 Naval Air Squadron flying Sea Harriers against the Argentinians off the carrier Invincible. It was subtitled "A Maverick at War" which should give you an idea about the guy.
posted by worker_bee at 11:58 AM on June 26, 2007

For the Argentinian perspective, search for "Malvinas".
posted by signal at 1:27 PM on June 26, 2007

This is a question I've often asked, too. I think it's best to avoid books written in 1982/83 that were published (with very little if any access to classified documents) to take advantage of the public's interest in the war.

Several books I've read include:

Merchant ships at war : the Falklands experience / Roger Villar
Operation Corporate : the Falklands War / Martin Middlebrook

The Face of Battle, by John Keegan devotes perhaps one chapter to the Falklands War.

I'm just astonished that there hasn't been more (and better) writing about that war. It caused a tremendous number of casualties on both sides, and success of the Argentine air force in actually bombing the British ships is pretty interesting as well.
posted by KokuRyu at 2:14 PM on June 26, 2007

The Battle For The Falkands by Max Hastings is probably the most widely read account of the war and is written by someone who was there, understands soldiering but was not himself a soldier.

100 Days Memoirs of The Falklands Battle Commander by Sandy Woodward is again excellent and is written by someone who was there.

Hope that helps.
Call For Fire: Sea Combat In The Falklands and the Gulf is also very good although not exclusively on the Falklands.
posted by eb98jdb at 2:51 PM on June 26, 2007 [1 favorite]

errr, I feel I should also mention Fracture Zone linked above is about the war in the Balkans rather than the Falklands....
posted by eb98jdb at 4:34 PM on June 26, 2007

Response by poster: All of these look good; thanks folks.

And Fracture Zone looks interesting as well. I'll have to check it out.
posted by Rangeboy at 5:28 PM on June 26, 2007

I know you asked for books not films, but I recently read some good reviews of Iluminados por el fuego, by an Argentinian veteran. Might be of interest too.
posted by Abiezer at 12:15 AM on June 27, 2007

I enjoyed Vulcan 607 - not about the wider conflict but the longest, most audacious bombing raid of the late 20th century.
posted by hardcode at 5:11 AM on June 27, 2007